HATCHERY DESIGN AND BROODSTOCK …

1 This paper should be cited as: Tekwombou, J. 2014. HATCHERY DESIGN and BROODSTOCK management policy as a tool for sustainable aquaculture: case of Cameroon. United Nations University Fisheries Training Programme, Iceland [final project]. Final Project 2013 HATCHERY DESIGN AND BROODSTOCK management policy AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE; CASE OF CAMEROON Joseph Tekwombuo National Livestock, Veterinary and Fisheries Training Institute Foumban, Cameroon. Supervisors Professor Helgi Thorarensen, Holar University College, ABSTRACT Aquaculture in Cameroon has seen little progress over the last ten years and has thus contributed very little to food security in the country despite the potential that exists. This report presents the work carried out to explore lasting solutions for fish production to fully contribute to food security in Cameroon. Information was gathered to determine the number of ponds and their total surface area.

2 The African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) was used as a case study, to determine the amount of seeds needed by the existing farms at different stocking densities. The number of BROODSTOCK to produce the require seeds was determined. A model HATCHERY was designed and based on seed requirements, transport availability, and infrastructure and a repartition pattern was proposed. The result shows that about 46 million fingerlings are needed for adequate stocking of ponds, and about 7 thousands brood fish are required to produce the fingerlings. To produce the required seed while ensuring good management , a DESIGN of a model HATCHERY that can produced approximately million seed is proposed. To satisfy the demand, 27 hatcheries have to be built in proposed locations in the 8 regions of the country. Each HATCHERY will require an investment capital of about 128 million francs CFA.

3 At 75 francs per fingerling a benefit/cost ratio of 219% can be obtained if the breeding programme is implemented successfully. Tekwombuo 2 UNU-Fisheries Training Programme TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .. 3 LIST OF TABLES .. 3 1 INTRODUCTION .. 4 Statement of the problem .. 5 Project objectives .. 6 2 A STRATEGY FOR FINGERLING PRODUCTION IN CAMEROON .. 6 Main locations of aquaculture in Cameroon .. 6 Assessing the number fingerlings and number of BROODSTOCK required .. 7 3 FINGERLINGS PRODUCTION IN CAMEROON .. 9 Model HATCHERY components .. 9 Water holding structure .. 10 Indoor structure .. 10 BROODSTOCK ponds .. 11 Number of hatcheries and locations .. 11 Improving seed production and quality .. 12 4 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE HATCHERY .. 13 Profitability of the project .. 15 5 DISCUSSION .. 16 6 CONCLUSION .. 17 7 17 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .. 19 REFERENCES .. 20 Tekwombuo 3 UNU-Fisheries Training Programme LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.

4 Map of Cameroon indicating the regions where fish farming is most practiced .. 6 Figure 2. Water supply system .. 9 Figure 3. HATCHERY building with the different units .. 10 Figure 4. Proposed location of multiplier and BROODSTOCK hatcheries in Cameroon .. 12 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Number of ponds and total surface area per region based on an inventory by the directorate of fisheries (Unpublished) .. 7 Table 2. Number of fingerlings and BROODSTOCK needed per year in Cameroon .. 8 Table 3. Number, volume and flow requirements of the HATCHERY .. 11 Table 4. Distribution of locations for hatcheries in different regions and potential production based on the number of fingerlings produced .. 12 Table 5. Breakdown of Invest asset cost for the HATCHERY .. 14 Table 6. Break down of running cost estimates .. 15 Table 7. Annual operating cost .. 15 Table 8. Gross revenue at different unit price .. 16 Table 9. Profitability indicators.

5 16 Tekwombuo 4 UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 1 INTRODUCTION For the past decade, global aquaculture production has grown faster than any other part of the food sector (Subasinghe, Soto, & Jia, 2009). In Africa, as a whole and sub-Saharan Africa in particular, farmed fish production has not increased much due to lack of capital, technological know-how and poor government policy (Pillay & Kutty, 2005). Most of the world s poorest population live in this part of the world. In Cameroon, fish is the main animal protein source, especially for the most underprivileged layers of society (Nguenga & Pouomogne, 2006). The annual consumption of fish in Cameroon from 2008 to 2010 was estimated to be over 300,000 tons (Laurenti, 2013). Due to lower prices the consumption of fish is significantly higher than of meat and it is available in quantities suitable for consumers. The fisheries in Cameroon only produce approximately 176,000 tons of fish, most of it from artisanal (marine and fresh water) sector (NIS, 2012).

6 Therefore, the government of Cameroon has imported over 120,000 tonnes of fish per year for the past decade to meet the domestic fish demand (Pouomogne & Pemsi, 2008). Aquaculture accounts for less than of the inland fish production. However, conditions for fish culture in Cameroon are good; there is a good climate suitable for the rearing of many warm water species, appropriate soil for pond construction and natural inland waters covering over 40,000 square kilometres, and freshwater fish suitable for aquaculture, (Brummett, 2007). The average annual per capita fish consumption in Cameroon is kilograms. The demand for fish is increasing due to growing population ( annually) and rapid urbanization. It is projected that the demand will be 400,000 tons in 2015 (MINEPIA & FAO, 2009). Reliable information on the volume of aquaculture production in Cameroon is difficult to obtain and the statistics available are conflicting and vary from one source to another.

7 The reason for this is that there are no official records of production at farm level. Farmers are often reluctant to provide information and some of the fish produced is not traded but consumed by the producers and their families. However, all available information suggests that aquaculture has grown over the past ten years (NIS, 2012; FAO, 2012). The growth of aquaculture in Cameroon is linked to the increased demand and implementation of the Strategic Framework for the Development of Aquaculture that was initiated with the assistance of FAO and World Fish Centre (Moehl, Halwart, & Brummett, 2005). Also, the continuous population growth in Cameroon and progressive increase in demand for animal protein provide favourable conditions for the growth of aquaculture in Cameroon. This increase in demand has caused a significant increases in fish prices (GPA, 2007). In response to the increase in demand for fish, previously abandoned ponds have been put in use again, facilitated by changes in government policy of providing technical assistance to farmers and the organisation of training seminars (Pouomogne & Pemsl, 2008).

8 Southern and Western Cameroon, which constitute about of the total surface area of the country, have almost year round rainfall and appropriate temperature making it favourable for aquaculture. Currently, the aquaculture sector in Cameroon is made up of small-scale farmers producing 2-5 tons of fish per hectare and large-scale farmers who produces up to 16 tons per hectare with the former predominant. Most farms use earthen ponds to grow fish although cages are being introduced. Tanks and raceways are used only in research stations. The largest farms (about 20% of the total) are concentrated around urban areas. Some of these larger farms were previously subsistence farmers but have now over 10 ponds exceeding 5,000 m (Pouomogne & Pemsl, 2008). The larger farms have the advantage of affording the use of equipment for construction rather than digging the ponds by hand. Furthermore, they use pellets to feed the fish.

9 Some of the larger producers have some experience in other types of agriculture such as chicken or pig farming. Despite the willingness of farmers to expand, their endeavours are most Tekwombuo 5 UNU-Fisheries Training Programme often hampered by the unavailability of seed at the desired time and in insufficient quantities. If the supply of fish from aquaculture is to increase, adequate number of young fish of good quality have to be produced. Increased aquaculture production will also facilitate the growth of various support industries such as feed production. Statement of the problem As described above the volume of aquaculture production in Cameroon is low although conditions are favourable. The limited growth of aquaculture in Cameroon can be attributed to many factors such as the lack of adequate feed, access to capital, knowledge and most importantly the scarcity of quality fingerlings and at affordable prices.

10 Government owned aquaculture and fish fry stations as well as private backyard hatcheries have over the years failed to supply the number of seed needed by farmers. Though statistics on fingerling production are not well known as no documented information exists, farmers report that fingerlings are usually of low quality and their demands are never met. Most farmers resort to collecting wild fish to stock their ponds but only limited amount of fingerlings can be obtained this way (Brummett, 2007; Pouomogne, 2007). The quantity of fingerlings obtained does not always meet the needs of the farmers. This has been attributed to high mortalities of fry in ponds caused by the presence of predators such as frogs, birds, larvae of toad and dragon fly, which prey on the fry or compete with them for food. Attempts at controlling these predators, such as building a fence around and interweaving of ropes above the ponds, have not been fruitful.